is dominican decaf coffee fake?

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i cannot drink normal coffee as i get severe leg cramps and my eyes start twitching. it seems that caffeine lowers down my magnesium levels - hence those muscle problems. so few years ago i gave up it up for decaf version (taste wise i see no difference). it worked well in the UK, i bought coffee all over london and i had no problems. but in DR...
i buy santo domingo decaf coffee and i still get cramps so bad i cry. i had coffee on wednesday and again yesterday and today i was down on the floor in tears unable to move due to horrible cramp in my left calf. what the heck? is this coffee fake? is it just regular santo domingo coffee but in the can and at gringo price?
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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I don't know about the coffee, but try taking Vitamin E - at least 200 IU every day, does wonders for leg cramps!

AE
 

Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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The father of a Dominican I know works in coffee and often gives me gifts of different types of coffee. A month or so ago he gave me a tin which said decaf and told me not to worrry, although it said decaf it wasn't. So, I think you are right that dominican decaf is not!! Try Nescafe decaf instant. I know it is not the same but better than nothing!!

Matilda
 

sangria

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May 16, 2006
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While I was pregnant I got leg cramps every night and it is an unbearable pain especially when it starts to spasm.

I found that it really helps to flex your toes up as soon as you start to feel the cramp coming on and 99% of the time it stopped the cramp instantly.

Although this doesn't answer your question it may help alleviate the cramps.

Sangria
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i know that B6, B12 and magnesium help with cramps but this is the first time i hear about vitamin E! i shall try.
thank you for advice, sangria, i usually do the same and it worked for cramps in feet. but not in the calf area. and yesterday all this commotion attracted my cat who kept biting my toes. that did not help at all :)
anyone else has advice on how to relieve cramps? my father used to say that lifeguards in poland had a safety pin pinned to their swimming trunks. in case of a cramp they supposedly stuck the pin into the affected area and that was releasing muscle tension. hmm...
mat, you just confirmed my suspicions, darn!
 

Ben

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Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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I started a similiar thread a year or two ago as I too have a problem with caffeine as well as it gives me heart arrhythmia.

I can handle a little like in coke but normally coffee will start bothering me after a few days.

That being said I immediately tried the Santo Domingo decaf when it came out as it was only RD180 compared to the imported at RD230 and was fine until after a few months I started to get the arrythmia again. I figured it had to be the coffee and I quit drinking it immediately and it went away.

I figured that, as in typical Dominican fashion, once Santo Dominigo coffee had gotten their share of the market they decided to either forgo actually decaffeinating the coffee or the mixed it with regular in order to maximize profits as the decaf costs twice as much as regular. Pretty smart idea huh? After all they figured nobody would know the difference.

At any rate, I'm on my second jar of cafe SD decaf here in Santiago with no ill effects so it appears that maybe they had some complaints from customers.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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very interesting article.
i see that my life choice is either coffee or cramps. :(
 

XXKWISIT

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Apr 15, 2007
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Typically leg cramps are a deficiency in calcium, magnesium or potassium or all three. This is often the result of dehydration, hence the caffeine in the coffee. You can try chewing a few tums, eating more bananas and potassium rich foods, drinking tonic water (tonic water has quinine in it and is great for the leg cramps that wake you up in the middle of the night) and making sure that you stay adequately hydrated (living in an always hot country and drinking coffee/alcohol can make this very difficult)
PM me if you have any more questions. I'm a chronic sufferer of leg cramps!